Formation of small scale, high-resolution features is an ever moving target for the advancement of manufacturing processes. Conductive traces for printed wiring boards (PWBs) is an exemplary application for such processes. Electroless deposition is a plating method that is used for the fabrication of such features. The chemistry and process of electroless deposition has been established for quite some time, and is generally commercially available. There remains however, a need for advancements in selectively applying the catalytic material to the substrate that is eventually subjected to electroless deposition processes.